History of Church Music – Part 2

What qualifies as church music? Where did church music come from and why is it the way it is today? For some, church music is a very familiar aspect of their culture due to their upbringing or lifestyle, but for others, it is not. Regardless of your exposure, music itself has greatly evolved over the […]

History of Church Music

Music has always been closely associated with religion, and the worship of the chosen deity or fundamental belief. The understanding behind the psychology of music and religion is a topic for another time, but should be taken into consideration when thinking about the running history that music and church music have had in tandem. When […]

Church Organ Shoes Basics

The church organ is a unique instrument in many ways due to its design, its history, and its sound. But there is yet another reason why it is a unique instrument: It requires special shoes to place it well. Organ shoes are specially designed to help the church organ player play the pedal keyboard well, […]

The Church Organ in Silent Film

The church organ is an instrument that has been around for ages, making it one of the oldest instruments still played. The first variation of the organ occurred in Greece in the 3rd century BC as the hydraulis. The organ continued on through the ages with the Persian empire as the urghun and into the […]

The Church Organ: A History

The church organ is one of the oldest instruments still played by modern musicians. The first organ recorded was in Greece in the 3rd century: The word “organ” originates from the Greek word organon meaning “instrument” or “tool.” Ctesibius of Alexandria invented the organ, then called a hydraulis, which was operated through water pressure that […]

Easy Steps to Playing the Organ

Basic Steps for Learning the Organ Learn to Read Music One of the first steps to playing the organ is to learn how to read music. Reading music is about not only learning the names of the notes, but also learning how to count time signatures and keep a steady rhythm. Many music stores have […]

The Digital Organ: The Comeback Kid

When you think of popular progressive music, the organ probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, but it should. The organ is an often forgotten gem and with high-quality traditional organs, and the Viscounts hybrid and digital organs being made and played today, it’s time to join the organ in the spotlight. Organ […]

Evolving the Digital Organ

The evolution of the organ has not been a rapid process, instead it has grown and changed over time thanks to societal tastes and technological limitations throughout the formation of today’s Western Civilization. This gradual, relatively unchanged evolution took a massive spike as technology allowed for digital elements to be included in the classic pipe […]

History of Church Organs

True pipe organs are becoming increasingly rare, largely due to the massive expense associated with their construction, as well as the ease-of-use, repair, and longevity associated with digital church organs in the modern era. Yet, these classical church organs are, without a doubt, an irrefutably large part of what has influenced today’s church culture and […]